Useful Auto Dimming Rear View Mirror Information

[BusinessConnected]

Evening All,
I've recently acquired a 96 HSE P38 and have been struck by the dreaded "Blacked Out Rear View Mirror" affliction.

After looking around online at prices of new mirrors ($300+ overseas if they are in stock) I'd resigned myself to a "Generic" Mirror instead of the Genuine Range Rover Model.

My Mechanic collected 6 x Mirrors from a Wrecker for $20 for me to decide which one I liked best and suddenly I discovered something marvellous.

The Rear View Mirror in front of me was from a WH Holden Statesmans and beside a different mounting mechanism, the actual Donnelly ete Part Numbers on the Rear was identical!!!!

Sure enough, after wiring up a bit of a custom connector, and inverting the Mount (Because of the different angles of Glass ete) the Mirror works perfectly.... Auto Dimming and all...

So moral of the story is if you are after a Range Rover Rear View Mirror, check out a Commodore Wrecker for a WH Statesman Mirror ASAP...
(Already got myself a spare on the shelf for an extra $10....)

Regards
Heath

[Scouse]

If you want to revert to a standard mirror, the D2 has the same screen mount.

Some D2s had a compass mirror too :).

[cockie55]

Another good reason to local parts swap reversing mirrors is many fancy mirrors from the US are designed for LH drive only and can't be fitted to RH drive vehicles.

[poleonpom]

Brilliant - I love a good fix that's a cheap fix:D

My mirror has just leaked a load of goeey black stuff that has stuck hard to the dash:mad:

[Basil135]

Brilliant - I love a good fix that's a cheap fix:D

My mirror has just leaked a load of goeey black stuff that has stuck hard to the dash:mad:


Get the black goo off the dash, and presumably the radio, ASAP :eek:

This stuff is corrosive to the plastics, and will chew thru them like a rat into timber...

[DT-P38]

A mechanic who goes to the wreckers and picks up $10 second hand parts for you? :o

Tell him I will personally give him my vote for PM if he agrees to being my P38 mechanic too!!! No, hang on I'll bet he is actually a she that looks like Miss Universe and acts like Ms Porn-World 2010... tell her I will marry her!!!:D

Go on burst my bubble and tell me he charges $200 an hour!:twisted:

[Hoges]

2 yrs ago I saw some chatter on the RR website that Magna Donnelly were replacing said mirrors free of charge ...mine was not leaking...just wouldn't dim... I thought it was an urban myth but sent a 'nice' email to the lady nominated in the posts on the rangerovers.net website not quite believing it would be extended outside of continental USA.

However, to my utter amazement a couple of days later I received a reply from "Donna" somwhere in the USA, with a set of instructions and a week later the FedEx man arrived at my front door with a parcel containing brand new mirror:D

Inside the box also was a prepaid return addressed FedEx plastic satchel ...to return the defective mirror which was 10yrs old... :eek:

Gotta love the free market...sometimes;)

9th wonder of the world? :angel:

[BusinessConnected]

Link???

I'd happily return my existing mirror for a "Spare".

[Aussie]

yes I'd love the link too as my mirror is about too start dropping toxic poo poo's. Bit like myself after a night on the ****

[DT-P38]

Yep happy to see that mines gone to god as well.

My engine leaks and maybe the gearbox and diffs too... is there a link and free change over for them?
:D:p:D:p:D:p

[p38arover]

2 yrs ago I saw some chatter on the RR website that Magna Donnelly were replacing said mirrors free of charge ...mine was not leaking...just wouldn't dim... I thought it was an urban myth but sent a 'nice' email to the lady nominated in the posts on the rangerovers.net website not quite believing it would be extended outside of continental USA.

I didn't do that as I'd heard they'd stopped replacing them.

[Remy]

They don't do it anymore i tried last year :(

[andrew e]

D1 mirrors after 96 also fit. The late d1 ES use the same auto dim mirror as the p38 too.

After 99, LR changed to a bmw mirror, which is common across the BMW range.

When the mirrors leak, they sometimes glue themselves shut so the screen cant be changed.

Tint your windows really dark and you dont need a dimming mirror :D

[DT-P38]

You dont happen to have one of those disco mirrors (non auto dim one)lying around anywhere do you andy?

[andrew e]

You dont happen to have one of those disco mirrors (non auto dim one)lying around anywhere do you andy?

send bundalene a pm.

Andy

[Tonys]

Hi Guys,

Does anyone know what the apparently electrical input, which is an incoming platic "tube", behind my rear view mirror is? I apper to have no control, apart from manually adjusting the mirror and yet this would indicate that I have some remote control of adjustment?

[DT-P38]

I'm not the best source of tech info on these, but my unerstanding is it is the power feeds for operating the auto dim function of the mirror. Your mirror should have a small light (from memory its green when on) and a button on the bottow under the mirror face.

If it doesn't have these, then perhaps your vehicle has had a replacement mirror of standard (read Disco) spec. put on it. I did that to mine until I get around to putting on the new reverse camera - mirror that I bought a while ago. I must say, as with most gadgets, the auto dim function hasn't really been missed...

[Tonys]

Thanks DT - P38. My mirror does not have a button or light (as per my drivers manual), but I do seem to get a "dimming effect" when driving at night. I see no movement in the rear view mirror, which I assumed created the "dimming effect"?

[81stubee]

I see no movement in the rear view mirror, which I assumed created the "dimming effect"?

There is no actual physical movement. From my understanding it is similar in operation to an LCD (liquid crystal display) screen. When a current is applied across a liquid that is sandwiched between two glass plates, it changes colour/turns opaque or something. Thus reducing the amount of light that passes through the glass.

In the case of your mirror, there is a LDR (light dependant resistor) on the back that senses the amount of ambient light. The electronics then determine whether its dark, and if it senses that the headlights are on (using one of the wires) and that it is dark enough it will apply a current across the glass, creating the dimming effect. When reverse is selected it clears the mirror so you can see out the back. Pretty clever in my book.

Stu